Printing machines



March 27, 1956 F. .1. ROSE PRINTING MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 17, 1954 Inventor fiM/Kd 275E March 27, 1956 F. J. ROSE 2,739,534

PRINTING MACHINES Filed NOV. 17, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 27, 1956 F. J. RosE 2,739,534

PRINTING MACHINES Filed Nov. 17, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Inventor March 27, F J. RQSE PRINTING MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed NOV. 17, 1954 Inventor liw/vk 4/. Wasp March 27, 1956 F. J. ROSE 2,739,534

PRINTING MACHINES Filed NOV. 17, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Inventor IVKL/ W055 United rates PRINTING MACHINES Application November 17, 1954, Serial No. 469,467

Claims priority, application Great Britain October 27, 1954 3 Claims. (Cl. 101-360) This invention relates to printing machines and in particular to a machine for printing statistical record cards,

the machine being of the kind in which a web of card material is fed intermittently to a printing bed with which a flat impression plate, movable towards and away from the bed, co-operates to imprint impressions on the card material while the card is stationary.

It will be understood that the speed at which such a machine can operate satisfactorily to produce the very high quality of printing required on statistical record cards is to a large measure determined by the rate at which the printing ink will dry sufiiciently to avoid smudging of the ink during operations such as card cutoff and stacking subsequent to the printing operation. This, however, is not the only cause of retardation of the rate of output of a machine since it is found that the rate of output is also controlled by the operation of applying ink to the impression-bearing surface of the impression plate. This 2,739,534 Patented Mar. 257, i956 method of printing statistical record cards by applying operation is usually efiected by the reciprocation of an inking roller over the impression-bearing surface of the plate and it has been found that this inking operation retards the rate of output of the machine far more than the rate at which drying of the ink retards output. It has, however, been proposed to employ a pair of equi-spaced inking rollers carried by a rotatable support for movement bodily and continuously in one direction in a path within which is located an inking plate having an arcuate inking surface and a straight surface, of which the arcuate surface co-operates with the inking rollers to spread ink evenly thereon, and the straight surface acts as a guide while the inking rollers are applying ink to the impression-bearing surface of an impression plate. During the continuous bodily movement thereof a roller is moved out of engagement with the arcuate surface of the inking plate to cooperate with a doctor roller from which it receives ink in bulk for transfer to the arcuate inking plate. With this form of apparatus it is possible to operate at printing speeds greater than those obtainable with oscillating inking rollers but, as a pair of continuously moved rollers is employed, it is impossible by the use thereof to make optimum use of the available time between successive printing operations to ensure satisfactory inking of the impression plate. Accordingly, in order to ensure good printing it is necessary either to retard the rate of printing so that a sufficiency of ink can be used or to employ an inking plate to effect even spreading ofa lesser quantity of ink on the inking rollers. While good results can be obtained with the known machine at a reasonably high rate of output it is desired to obtain improved results at an even greater rate of output.

it is a main object of the present invention to provide a method of and apparatus for printing statistical record cards whereby the said improved results may be obtained and in essence these results are obtained by arranging an impression to card material by effecting relative movement between the material and a flat impression plate, applying ink to the impression-bearing surface of the plate between successive printing operations thereof by successive equi-spaced inking rollers each freely rotatable about its axis and movable in one direction only through a path including a first part which is parallel with the impression bearing surface of the plate and a second part in which the inking rollers are moved in succession into engagement with a continuously rotatable doctor roller to receive ink therefrom said plate being located within said roller path for engagement by an inking roller during movement thereof along said first part of its path, and including the steps of providing a plurality of equi-spaced inking rollers, moving the rollers bodily and intermittently through said path, arresting bodily movement of the rollers while any one roller is co-operating with the doctor roller, and

arranging that during inking of one roller the last inked roller is supported in close proximity with the beginning of said first path part to be traversed by the roller during inking of the impression plate thereby.

Further according to the invention there is provided apparatus for printing statistical record cards, comprising a fiat printing bed over which a Web of card material is fed intermittently to the impression-receiving positions thereof, a fiat impression plate movable towards and away from the bed to imprint impressions on the card material while the material is stationary on the bed, a roller carri-age movable intermittently in one direction only, a slipping clutch coupled with the roller carriage to effect intermittent movement thereof, an escapement device operable in timed relation with the impression plate to control operation of said clutch, a plurality of inking rollers supported by the carriage in equi-spaced relation for movement bodily therewith and to be freely rotatable about their own axes, a. continuously rotatable doctor roller to apply ink to the inking rollers during a period of rest of the carriage, and guide elements to define the path through which the inking rollers are bodily movable, said path passing round the impression plate and including a first part which is parallel with the impressionbearing surface of the plate to permit engagement of an inking roller with said surface during movement of the-inking roller along said first part of its path, and a second part in which the inking rollers are moved into and .out of engagement with the doctor roller and cooperate therewith during a period of rest of the carriage thereby to effect spreading of ink on the inking rollers by rotation thereof about their axes by frictional engagement with the doctor roller.

The guide elements may comprise cam plates located at opposite ends of the impression plate for movement therewith and having peripheral contours engageable by the inking rollers and defining said first path part and a third path part of generally circular contour, and camming elements carried by the cam plates in juxtaposition with a part of said third path part to define said second path part.

The roller carriage may comprise a pair of spiders, an intermittently rotatable shaft coaxial with said cam plates 6 and supporting the spiders in spaced relation axially thereof for angular movement therewith, roller supporting members freely pivoted to aligned arms of the spiders, and springs urging the roller supporting members about their pivots to maintain co-operation between the inking rollers and the cam plates.

There is also contemplated the provision of record cards printed in accordance with the method according to the invention. In order that the invention may be clearly understood one embodiment thereof will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a diagrammatic side elevation of a printing machine having apparatus according to the invention applied thereto,

2 is a top plan of Fig. 1,

Figs. 3A and 35 together are a side elevation ofpririting apparatus accordin to the invention,

Figs. 4A and 43 together are a top plan of Figs. 3A and 3B respectivel and Fig; 5 diagrammatically illustrates, partly in section, the inking of the impression-bearing surface of the impression plate of the apparatus.

Referring to the drawings, a machine bed 1 supports as'fationary printing bed 2 above which is an impression plate" 3, Figs. 3A and S, the plate 3 being movable towards and away from the" printing bed 2 to imprint on a web 4 of card material the impression which is to be applied thereto. The web 4 is fed from a spool intermittently over the bed 2 by feeding rollers 5, Figs. 1 and 2,- and printing is effected while the web is stationary with respect to the bed 2. After an impression has been made thereon the web is fed to a cutting head 6, of any suitableknown form, which severs the printed cards from the web and delivers them into a card receiver 7.

A pair of side frames 8 are pivoted on a shaft 9 mounted in bearing blocks 10, supported by the machine bed 1 and have connecting rods 11, Figs. 1 and 3A, co-operating therewith to move the plate 3 towards and away from the printing bed 2 and movement of the connecting rods is controlled by an eccentric drive 12, Fig. l, driven by any suitable means, not shown, from the main shaft, referred to below, of the machine.

Inlting mechanism for the machine is supported by brackets 13, Figs. 3B and 4B, movable with the frames 8 and comprises an ink duct 14 from which ink is transferred by anintermittently rotatable reservoir roller 15 to an oseillatable distributing roller 16 by which ink is transferred to a further roller 17 and thence by transfer rollers 18, 19, and doctor roller 2% to inking rollers 21, operation of which is described below. Rotation of the rollers 18, 1 9, 20 is continuous and is effected in any suitable manner from the main driving shaft 22, Figs. 1 and 2, of the machine. Thus far, the mechanism described is well-known and for this reason has been described only insofar as is necessary to the understanding of the mode of operation of the apparatus according to the invention.

lnking of the impression-bearing surface 23, Fig. 5, of the impression plate 3 is effected between successive printing operations thereof by successive ones of inking rollers 21, these rollers being supported by a roller car riage rotatable in one direction about a fixed axis. Angular movement of the carriage is intermittent and is effected in timed relation with the movement of frames 8 and plate 3 about their pivot 9, an inking roller 21 being moved across surface 23 of plate 3 to apply ink thereto while the plate 3 is spaced from bed 2, that is the plate is in the raised or upper position thereof, Fig. 5, and during the interval in which feeding of the web is effected.

The roller carriage comprises a pair of four-armed spiders 24 arranged in spaced relation axially of an intermittently rotatable shaft 25 which is journalled in the frame 8 and controlled by a slipping clutch and a train of gears described below. A roller supporting member 26 is freely pivoted at 27 to each of the arms of the spider 24, and the free ends of the members 26 are hook-shaped to embrace the ends of spindles 28 about the axes of which the rollers 21 are freely rotatable. The spindles 28 are rotatable in ball bearings 29 carried by the members 26. Springs 30 urge the members 26 in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 3A, to retain follower rollers 31, Fig. 4A, integral with the inking rollers 21, in cooperation with guide elements shown as cam plates 32 co-axial' with the shaft and secured to the frames 8 for movement therewith, but not for movement relative thereto. The impression plate 3 is supported at opposite ends thereofby the elements 32 for movement therewith and the spiders 24 are journalled in the elements 32 to permit angular movement of shaft 25 relative thereto.

The follower rollers 31 are urged by the springs into co-operative engagement with the peripheral contours of the cam plates 32 and the cam plates 32 define a roller path through which. the rollers are intermittently moved bodily by angular movement of the spiders 24. The path defined by the cam plates 32 is such that the impression plate 3 is located wholly Within the path, and a first part 33, Figs. 3A and 5, of the path is straight and parallel with the impression-bearing surface 23, Fig. 5, of the plate 3 and is located in the same plane as that of the impression-receiving surface 23. Thus, as the diameters of the inking. and follower rollers are the same, as a roller 21 moves along. the straight part of its path it co-operates with the impression-bearing surface 23 of plate 3 so as to apply ink thereto. A third part of the roller path defined by the cam plates 32 is of generally circular contour 34, being concentric with the axis of shaft 25. This part of the path is stated to be of generally circular contour because, at the two ends of the straight portion 33 of 'thepath there are, as will be seen from Fig. 3A, short path portions which are not concentric with the axis of shaft 25 but are curved to provide a smooth lead from the straight path portion 33 to the circular path portion 34. The roller path also includes a second part described below.

Mounted on the shaft 25 is a slipping clutch 35, Fig. 4A, driven by a chain 36 which, in turn, is driven by a sprocket 37, Fig. 3B, secured to a drive shaft 38 rotation of which is effected from the main drive shaft 22 of the machine. Integral with the slipping clutch is a gear 39, Fig. 4A, which, through an 'idler gear '40, drives a pinion 41 meshes with a gear secured to a lay shaft 42 rotatable in the frames 8. The lay shaft 41 also has secured thereto pinions 43 which drive gears 44 integral with the spiders 24. For the sake of clarity the clutch 3S and gears 39 to 44 have been omittedfrom Fig. 3A. The shaft 25 also has secured thereto a pinion 45- which meshes with a rotatable gear wheel 46 mounted on a frame 8 and to which is connected an escapement wheel 47. The cscapement wheel 47 is connested with the gear wheel 46 by shock-absorbers comprising springs 48, pins 49 extending laterally from the gear wheel '46, and slots 50 in the escapement wheel 46, the pins 49 co-operating with the slots 50 to effect rotation of the escapernent wheel 47. The escapement wheel is controlled by a latching 'pawl 51 pivoted at 52, FigASA, to a machine frame 8 to be operable in timed relation with the impression plate 3. The latching pawl 51 is urged to the active position thereof, shown "in Fig. 3A,--by "a spring '53 co-operating with a pin -54-extend-' ing laterally from the latching pawl and being slidable in aslot formed in the free end of an arm 55 pivoted at 56 to the frame 8. The latching pawl 51 is provided witha tall '51 for co-operation with a trip element 58 mounted on a support 59 secured to the machine bed 1.

While the frames 8 are being moved downwards by connecting rods 11 to move the plate 3 into co-operw tion with the printing bed 2, the spiders 24 remain stationary, being held stationary by co-operation between pinion 45, gear 46, and escapenient wheel 47 which, at such time, is latched by the latching pawl 51. During upward movement of the frames 8 and of the plate 3, the tail 57 of latching pawl 51 engages the nip member 58 so that the latching pawl 51 is rocked clockwise, as viewed in Fig. 3A, about its pivot 52, thereby to release the escapement wheel 47. The position of the tail 57 relative to the trip member 58, with the plate 3 in the printing position thereof, is such that by the time the tail 57 engages the trip member 58 the plate 3 has been raised to a position such that the inking roller 21 which is positioned in close proximity with the beginning of the first path part 33 can immediately start to move across the face 23 of plate 3 and before the plate is again lowered to the printing position the roller has completed the inking thereof so that full use is made of the stroke of rods 11 and a newly inked roller 21 is positioned ready for the next inking operation of the plate 3.

When the escapement wheel is released as just described the slipping clutch 35 picks up due to the shaft 25 being released and through gears 39, 40, 42, 43 and 44 effects angular movement of the spiders 24 through an angle of 90 so that one of the inking rollers carried thereby and which is located in close proximity with the beginning of the said first part 33 of its path is caused to move along the straight or first part 33 of its path whereby to apply ink to the impression-receiving surface 23 of the plate 3.

As the spider again comes to rest one of the inking rollers 21 is moved into engagement with the doctor roller 24? so that while the spider remains idle ink is applied to the inking roller by the doctor roller 20. Movement of the inking roller into engagement with the doctor roller 20 is effected by co-operation between the following rollers 31 for the inking roller and a third path part formed by camming elements 60 carried by ball-bearings 61 mounted on the cam plates 32 in juxtaposition with a part of the third path 34 of the roller path. As can be seen from Fig. 3A, a part of the periph eral portion of the camming elements 60 extends beyond the circular portion or third path part 34 of the cam plates 32. Thus, as the follower rollers engage the camming elements 60, as the spiders approach the end of an angular movement thereof, co-operation between the follower rollers and the camming elements causes the members 26 supporting the inking roller 21 to be moved about their pivots 27, against the action of springs 30, thereby to move the inking rollers 21 into engagement with the doctor roller 20. The inking roller 21 remains in engagement with the doctor roller 20 during the rest period of the inking roller carriage and since the inking roller is freely rotatable about its axis, it is rotated by frictional contact with the doctor roller 20 so that ink from the doctor roller 20 is applied evenly to the peripheral surface of the inking roller 21.

From the foregoing it will be understood that by the present invention there is provided a method of printing statistical record cards by applying an impression to card material by effecting relative movement between the material and a fiat impression plate, applying ink to the impression-bearing surface of the plate between successive printing operations thereof by successive equi-spaced inking rollers each freely rotatable about its axis and movable in one direction only through a path including .a first part which is parallel with the impression-bearing surface of the plate and a second part in which the inking rollers are moved in succession into engagement with a continuously rotatable doctor roller to receive fink therefrom said plate being located within said roller path for engagement by an inking roller during movement thereof along said first part of its path, and which in- :cludes the steps of providing a plurality of equi-spaced inking rollers, moving the rollers bodily and intermittently through said path, arresting bodily movement of the rollers while any one roller is co-operating with the doctor roller, and arranging that during inking of one roller the last inked roller is supported in close proximity with the beginning of said first path part to be traversed by the roller during inking of the impression plate thereby.

Also from the foregoing description it will be understood that by the method and apparatus herein described it is, irrespective of the rate of printing as determined by the connecting rods 11, possible to ensure that the optimum use is made of the interval between successive printing operations in order to etfect inking of the impression plate as slowly as possible and that this object is achieved by the intermittent bodily movement of the inking rollers under control of the slipping clutch and the escapement device which controls operation of the clutch and is itself controlled by the connecting rods 11; and by the arrangement which provides that an inking roller is ready inked and is positioned in a waiting position at the beginning of its operative path so that it can be moved into co-operation with the impression plate as soon as the plate is separated sufliciently from the bed 2 and the roller passes out of its operative path just before the plate is again moved into co-operation with. the bed 2.

By arranging that an inking roller co-operates with the doctor roller during a printing operation it is evenly inked without the necessity of the provision of an inking plate.

It Will also be understood that although there has been described herein the best known form of apparatus for carrying the method into effect other forms of apparatus can be readily envisaged for carrying out the new method, for example the roller carriage can be of a form other than that herein described and the roller path defining guide elements may be of a construction other than that described, for example the guide elements may consist of box cams and the inking rollers suitably modified for cooperation therewith.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for printing statistical record cards, comprising a fiat printing bed over which a web of card material is fed intermittently to the impression-receiving positions thereof, a flat impression plate movable towards and away from the bed to imprint impressions on the card material while the material is stationary on the bed, a roller carriage movable intermittently in one direction only, a slipping clutch coupled with the roller carriage to effect intermittent movement thereof, an escapement device operable in timed relation with the impression plate to control operation of said clutch, a plurality of inking rollers supported by the carriage in equi-spaced relation for movement bodily therewith and to be freely rotatable about their own axes, a continuously rotatable doctor rollor to apply ink to the inking rollers during a period of rest of the carriage, and guide elements to define the path through which the inking rollers are bodily movable, said path passing round the impression plate and including a first part which is parallel with the impression-bearing surface of the plate to permit engagement of an inking roller with. said surface during movement of the inking roller along said first part of its path, and a second part in which the inking rollers are moved into and out of engagement with the doctor roller and co-operate therewith during a period of rest of the carriage thereby to effect spreading of ink on the inking rollers by rotation thereof about their axes by frictional engagement with the doctor roller.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the guide elements comprise cam plates located at opposite ends of the impression plate for movement therewith and having peripheral contours engageable by the inking rollers and defining said first path part and a third path part of generally circular contour, and camming elements carried by the cam plates in juxtaposition with a part of said third path part to define said second path part.

s r-mam 3. Apparatus according, to claim 2, wherein the, roller carriage comprises a pair of spiders, an intermittently r0- tatable shaft eo-axi'al, with said cam plates and supporting the spiders in spaced relation axially thereof for angular movement therewith, roller supporting members freely pivoted to aligned arms of the spiders, and springs urging the roller supporting members about their pivots to mainplates" References- Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Buck Apr. 26, 1910':

Pityo Feb. 2, 1937 

